7 Health Awareness Days in Spring You Should Actually be Aware Of

Organizations work feverishly to gain recognition for their causes. Even though these causes may not affect you individually, chances are, they affect someone you know. There are many more awareness days and weeks not included on this list, but we wanted to give you a quick rundown of some of the days to mark on your calendar. For more information on these awareness days and others, check out Awareness Days or the United Nations’ international days website page.

April 2 – World Autism Awareness Day

According Autism Speaks, autism affects one in 68 children and costs families $60,000 a year on average. In actuality, the entire month of April is Autism Awareness Month, but many fundraising events occur on April 2. If you want to get involved, check out what’s going on in your community and keep this in mind.

April 7 – World Health Day

Sponsored by the World Health Organization annually on April 7, this year’s theme is “Depression: Let’s Talk.” Between 2005 and 2015, the number of people with depression has increased by over 18 percent, according to WHO. To learn more on how to get involved, check out WHO’s volunteer resources.

April 17 – World Hemophilia Day

In the United States alone, 20,000 males are living with hemophilia, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Women can only carry the hemophilia gene. Because uncontrolled bleeding in the brain and other important organs can be fatal, it’s important that those affected by hemophilia have resources and care available. To learn more and support hemophilia and other bleeding disorders, check out what you can do on April 17.

April 25 – World Malaria Day

According to WHO, nearly half the world’s population is at risk for contracting malaria. In 2015, there were over 200 million cases and approximately 429,000 deaths. In particular, it affects young children; over 300,000 African children died before their fifth birthday. To learn more and support malaria prevention, check out WHO’s resources.

May 2 – World Asthma Day

In the United States alone, there were 17.7 million adults and 6.3 million children with asthma in 2014, according to the CDC. Even more, it costs an estimated $56 billion annually. World Asthma Day is hosted by the Global Initiative for Asthma to improve the lives of those with asthma around the world. For more information, check out their website.

May 17 – World Hypertension Day

Incepted by the World Hypertension League, World Hypertension Day has one simple aim: for everyone to know their blood pressure. One in five people worldwide have hypertension, according to the WHL and International Society of Hypertension. Even more, nine out of 10 adults 80 years old or older will most likely develop hypertension.

May 31 – World No-Tobacco Day

According to WHO, six million people die every year from tobacco use – a number that will continue to grow without some type of intervention. But eradicating tobacco use not only benefits one’s health; it positively impacts the environment and economy. Growing tobacco requires dangerous fertilizers and pesticides that contaminate water supplies around the world. Even more, national economies suffer because of tobacco-related healthcare costs and decreased productivity.